1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to tire inspection and repair. More particularly the present invention relates to a portable light and method for inspecting automobile tires. Specifically, the present invention relates to a lighting assembly which is magnetically mountable on a steel belted tire wall to hold the light assembly to the steel belt while inspecting the tire.
2. Background Information
As is well known, automobile tires are not fabricated just from rubber; they would be far too flexible and weak. A tire is made up of several different components. The outermost component is the tread layer, made from a mixture of natural and synthetic rubbers. The tread layer is typically formed using patterns that give the tire traction although certain racing tires known as slicks have a smooth outer surface. The next layer, comprised of belts made from steel, is used to reinforce the tire. These steel belts provide puncture resistance and help maintain the tire footprint when it makes contact with the road. The next layer includes different fabrics called body plies. The most common body ply fabric is polyester cord. The body plies are coated with rubber to help them bond with the other components such as the innerliner which seals in the air when the tire is mounted on the rim of a wheel. Tires are periodically checked for internal and external wear. Depending on the extent of the damage, the tire may be repaired or scrapped for safety. An important part of a tire safety check is inspecting the inside of the tire itself. The innerliner is inspected for blisters, bubbles, cracks, or the body ply showing through. Even the smallest amount of damage to the innerliner could indicate a hole in the tire itself. The inspector typically uses a light or other visual enhancement mechanism to allow better viewing of the innerliner. However, the shape of the tire, with extending circumferential sidewalls, makes lighting the area difficult. A light needs to be flexible enough to move as needed by the inspector as the tire is rotated, as well as fit between the sidewalls to extend down proximate the innerliner. Further complicating this procedure, rotation of the tire itself typically requires two hands, requiring the inspector to pull the light out from between the sidewalls, set the light down, rotate the tire, pick the light back up, and insert it back in between the sidewalls. This is a rather time consuming process. The inspector may be enticed into checking the tires too quickly because of the length of time required to move the light every time the tire needs rotated during an inspection. This may lead to sloppy inspections and ultimately dangerous tires being approved for road use.
Therefore, the need exists for a light assembly and a method of using the same which facilitates inspection of the inside of a tire and overcomes the problems noted above.